After reading a majority of the posts here regarding the Edwards/Blogger fiasco, I am amazed at the level of vitriol and personal attacks. There have been many attacks aimed at the bloggers, their appearance and attacks on fellow posters. I find it interesting that a lot of the posts here are very similar in tone. They are abusive, condescending and make very similar points.

Go ahead and call me "paranoid" and whatever else you like but I have a feeling that this particular forum has been spammed by people who basically hate this woman. I love the ones who feel that it is necessary to declare that they are "liberals", "atheists", "Edwards supporters", "Democrats" and "progressives" just so that we who are reading know of your credentials and why you feel that as a "" you are offended and disgusted by these women.

My personal view is this, she is a young blogger with some popularity who the Edwards campaign thought would be a good addition. However, whomever in the campaign was responsible for vetting employees dropped the ball SEVERELY. Had they not screwed up so royally and, had everyone involved not handled the mess so poorly, there would be no forum on this and no spammers taking up precious space with their hate filled, immature, condescending, uninformed rants.

Feel free to rip this post apart and the poster as much as you like and the fact that it is anonymous like many of your posts. Hey, this is the internet after all and we can all say what we like, unless it offends someone's religious sensibilities or unless it is Amanda Marcotte and those who want to support her or her views. Spammers have fun!

I am basing my comments here, on the article Ms. Marcotte wrote and my observations on it. I haven't read the blogs or other articles on this particuler situation so I don't know if these suggestions would be applicable or not, but here goes.

First of all you have just as much right to express yourself as these people do. If they don't like what you write and are offended, tough.

Don'tlet yourself be intimidated by a bunch of bullies.

Thank them for showing the world that their ugly behavior is exactly why there are people who are anti christian, nowadays. Turn their vitriol around on them.

Put their articles, letters and hate mails up on your site. Let the public see what's going on.

There is one very clever parody Baptist/Christian/ religious fanatic site that has a monthly posting of hate mail they recieve,and many have misspellings, typos, death threats, wrath of God, you name it. These writers are serious as hell, which makes them all the more entertaining.

Laugh at the them, because they are laughable.

Point out that Donahue has confused HIMSELF with God.

What happened to "Vengeance is mine,saith the Lord", "Turn the other cheek, love your enemies?"

Point out how they twist religion around to fit their ugly selves, istead of fitting and elevating themselves to a religion of supposed"peace and kindness"

And Bill O'Reilly? A pervert who plays with himself while having phone sex? A long winded bag of hot air?

A self indulgent verbal masturbator, who will say anything, just to hear the sound of his own voice yapping, regardless of whether it's true or not? No wonder he's into phone sex. Yap,Yap,Yap.

Plenty to make fun of right there.

When they are making a lot of public noise about you, they are also giving you a public platform, so go for it!

Don't take everything so personally, my dear.

These attacks appear to be personal, but they really are not. These people don't know you on a personal level.

Like the proverbial swarm of locusts, you just happened to be in their path so they jumped all over you.

They will move on to a new target.

When you are in the publics' eye, criticism, attacks, as well as support and aknowledgement are all part of the territory.

Think of people who have endured such treatment and come through to the other side, as a support.

If they can tough it out, you can too.

What Anon says right before me is right on. Here's another quote from the very first letter on this subject:

Regarding the especially unpleasant harrassment of young women - I know it's true. And I know it takes a special kind of person who get their thrills from writing foul emails to women - and there seem to be a lot of them out there.

Whether of not you agree or are even entertained by their work, I'm really fucking appalled by the bile on irrelevant points in so many of the letters. Anyone who doesn't agree with Macotte's sentiments claims to be, by default, "older and wiser," "not ugly," "not fat," "not ego-centric," "not angry," etc. Are you really writing this crap in response to everyone who doesn't share your opinions?

Do you also subject men to the standards of child pageant winners? I didn't think so. On that note though, I can definitely picture Donohue in a tiara, tights, and tutu...isn't it a fact that many bullies visit a dominatrix in their spare time for a badly needed humiliation release?

I really don't give a rat's ass if you call me "paranoid." The fact that both this and the Paglia article (plus the first few about Hilary Clinton's candicacy) have generated SO many responses really does indicate that so many still get their manties/panties in a bunch over powerful women with a liberal slant. Some of the so-called liberals themselves are reduced to quivering pussies when issuing apologies for those on the far left; have you ever seen a mainstream Republican apologize for Malkin or Coulter (if this has indeed happened, I stand corrected)? I suppose this is due to the fact that Liberals are always supposed to take the high road like good robots.

A shitstorm indeed...you should be ashamed of yourselves. Troll on, trolls!